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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25291282">Starry Eyed</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryysis/pseuds/cryysis'>cryysis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coffee Shops, F/M, Mystery Power, Werewolves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:41:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,896</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25291282</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryysis/pseuds/cryysis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>She was drinking a galaxy.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Higurashi Kagome/Kouga</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Starry Eyed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I... have no idea how this happened. I mean, I *know* how it happened, but I also really, really don't.</p><p>No, it's not actually a coffee shop AU. I don't think. Maybe.</p><p>Inspired by a post I saw on Keichanz's tumblr. Blame her.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The bell jingled merrily above Kouga’s head, signaling his entry into the small cafe. A quick look told him the men he was looking for hadn't gotten there yet, and was sorely tempted to strangle them when they did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hated places like this. Modern cafes were too small by far, and always crowded. Tables pushed against the walls only tightened the limited space. Combine all that with the shitty ventilation and the unbearable smell of burnt beans and humans?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He'd rather cut his nose off to spite his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dammit all. Checking his watch, the alpha werewolf scowled at the time. Why those two dopeheads wanted to meet him here was beyond him. They knew how he felt about coffee shops. There was no relief from any of it, and they always made him feel caged in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he'd owed them for covering his shift at the bar, and this was how they'd chosen their payback. Their bi-weekly pack meeting was supposed to happen today. Rather than have it in the lobby complex so anyone nearby could voice an opinion, Ginta and Hakkaku had demanded they have it here instead. It was nice in that it let them get some actual work done, but with all the downsides.... He'd have rather just stayed at the apartments.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boys were due any minute, but right then all of the tables were taken. Some seemed to be finishing up though. He could have scared the shit out of them into moving faster, but that would have been unnecessarily mean. Unwise, but definitely fun.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Man, he missed having fun.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He'd give the humans some time to finish up, which meant he needed to find a way to entertain himself. There was no reason he couldn't have gone outside, but doing that meant dealing with all the noise of traffic. Either way, he was screwed. So he did the next best thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He people watched.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The open windows let him see outside, a clear view of everyone that passed. Kids with their parents, couples old and new out on dates, friends chasing each other down the sidewalk just because. The last one made him smile; it reminded him a lot of the pack in his younger days.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kouga pulled his phone from his pocket, intending to call his old man while he waited.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was when he saw her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dark hair and pale skin, sitting comfortably at a small table in the corner of the room. There was a book sitting open in front of her, and her hands curled around a mug of... something glowing?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Curious, he put his phone away. He bypassed the registers, heading to the order counter and leaning against it. It brought him closer, and let him see what exactly she was drinking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he figured out what it was, he thought he was hallucinating. It couldn't be what he saw, because it was quite literally impossible. He'd lived long enough to have a pretty good idea of what creatures existed in the world. He'd never heard of anything that could... that could </span>
  <em>
    <span>create galaxies.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Holy shit. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She was drinking a galaxy.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No matter how he looked at it, tried to justify it, that's what she was doing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It's disk was made of dark purple clouds, clusters of planets twinkling on milky white arms. The halo spilled over the ceramic mug, tinting her fingers a soft lavender pink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn't realize he was staring until she looked up, head tilting with curiosity.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clearing his throat, he fought down the blush he could feel tinting his cheeks. He tried focusing on something, anything else. The smell of burning coffee, the loud whistle of steamed milk piercing his ears, the cold air from the vent raising goosebumps on his skin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It worked, for a minute at least. But her presence pulled at him, and he couldn't help it when he turned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The table she'd been occupying was empty, quickly taken over by students getting ready to study.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He cursed himself quietly, shoulders slumping with disappointment. He'd missed her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Excuse me?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The soft voice made the wolf jump, fur bristling in surprise. He whipped around, ready to tear into whoever the hell had snuck up on him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Gyuh..." Shit, he hadn't been this tongue tied around a girl in centuries! "Uh... h-hi."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pearly white teeth bit into her lip, and Kouga had to shove down the sudden urge to nip it with his own. "Hi. Did you need something?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"N-No, I don't need anything. What, uh... what gave you that idea?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She quirked a brow, more than a little amused. "Oh I dunno. You kept staring at me, so I thought you might have wanted something."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ah..." he trailed off awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. "About that... I was just..." He caught sight of the mug in her hand, the hovering galaxy gleaming in the light. "Who..." He swallowed thickly. "Your drink, it..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked between him and her mug, thumb brushing the rim. The movement didn't disturb the clouds; they only seemed to move around her finger.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You can see it, can't you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His nod was distracted, clearing his throat and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I wasn't trying to make you uncomfortable. Just curious."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She seemed to brighten before his eyes, crowding into his space. "Who are you? What's your name?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh... Kouga," he answered, leaning back a bit. "My name's Kouga."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Kouga..." she seemed to be testing the sound of his name. "It means 'steel fang,' doesn't it?" When he nodded, she bobbed her head excitedly. "It suits you!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>God, she was strange. "You're not from around here are you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nope~." Her voice lifted in a minature song. "What gave me away?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He snorted. "Only everything." He worked up his courage, and finally nodded at her drink. "Is that really what I think it is? A galaxy?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Again, she tilted her head. She seemed to be looking for something. He knew she'd found it when her lips lifted in a smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was something about it, something he couldn't explain. Her smile called to him in ways only a full moon on a black sky ever had.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Do you want to know what it tastes like?" She held the mug cupped in her hands, thumbs still running over the clouded edge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He watched her lips form the words, felt them flow over his skin like drops of sweet rain. He tried to remember how to breathe. "I uh... I don't know how I feel about drinking stars."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughed, and the sound filled his ears like a howl.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You don't have to," she told him, blue orbs dancing and bright. "There are other ways."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Licking his lips with nervous anticipation, Kouga found himself caught in the fathomless depths of her eyes. "Show me. How do stars taste?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn't know she'd moved until soft fingers cupped the back of his neck. She pulled him to her slowly, as if giving him time to pull away. He could have pressed forward and taken what he wanted, so fierce was his desire. But letting her come to him would make this that much sweeter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He almost thought he was dreaming, her lips a delicate pressure against his. She was all smooth skin, warm with an inner fire under his hands. He licked gently at the seam of her mouth, and behind his eyes he saw the birth of a new star. The sweeping touch of their tongues bound him to her, like the earth's gravitational pull on the moon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their parting was a torturous kind of loss, and it was all he could do to hold her close, him the black hole to her shining star.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't," his voice was a hoarse rasp, begging like he hadn't since the year his mother died. "Don't go. Don't leave me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She seemed not to have heard him, releasing his neck to trace his lips edge. "You have wolfs blood in you," she said quietly, </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I do," he admitted to her. "How did you know?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I tasted it," she said smiling. "Like you tasted my stars." Her fingers left his mouth, instead pressing gently into the skin of his covering his pulse. "It runs through your veins, howling at a distant moon." She brushed the tip of her nose against his, and something in him finally began to calm. "I like your fur. It looks black, but it's made of different shades. It reminds me of a nebula."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He huffed a laugh, nuzzling her cheek. "I think I'm flattered, but I can't remember what any nebulas look like."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's just as well." She turned away, and he felt a terrible kind of envy for whatever had caught her eye. "Can you do something for me?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His response was instantaneous. "Anything."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hey smile lit his world on fire, and she took his hands with hers, molding tan fingers around her mug. "Hang on to this for me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unsure, he held it close to his heart. He'd expected it to be warm, but it was like holding a ball of ice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'll come back for it, don't worry," her now free hand cupped his cheek, and he turned into her palm, exhaling in peace. "Take care of it for me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're leaving," he said sadly, covering her hand with his.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I have to," her voice was soft, echoing with regret. "I want to explain, but I don't think you'll understand."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Tell me anyway," he begged. Anything to keep her there longer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She hummed quietly. "Like your veins are filled with the moons call, mine are filled with stardust."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And just like that, she was gone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Kouga?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The wolf jumped, spinning to look behind him. Ginta and Hakkaku looked worried, frowning at their alpha.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You okay, boss? You've been staring off into space for a while."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Staring into... Kouga shook his head, trying to clear his memory's fog.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Did you see her? See which way she went?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uhh..." the two glanced at each other in confusion. "What are you talking about?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"The girl! The one with the..." he trailed off, looking at his hands. The mug was gone, and in its place was a large ring. A deep purple cloud seemed to hover over the black metal, stars dotted over the band.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What girl, Kouga? You've been the only one standing here."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could see their lips moving, but their words didn't register. Realization slammed into him, and he dashed through the door, already knowing he wouldn't find her. But he had to try. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was nothing there. Nothing but the dry wind on his face, the smell of burnt coffee over powering everything but the acrid stench of exhaust. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He slumped backwards against the building, hands covering his face and only just resisting the urge to tear out his hair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was gone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the ring was still there, heavy in his hand. He slipped the cool metal onto his finger. A perfect fit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whoever she was, she had asked him to hang on to it. Told him she'd come back for it, she just hadn't said when. But that didn't matter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ring was living proof of her promise. Proved she was real.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She never did tell him her name. He'd have to ask her for it when he saw her again.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I may or may not come back to this later and add to it. For right now, consider it complete. (Mostly)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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